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Copyright of REMAH Journal is the property of Research & Development of Human Recourses Center (REMAH) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to gain insights about information management practices in public health-care organizations in Kuwait and offer recommendations to improve these practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study involves secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative accreditation-related data pertaining to the compliance with the Information Management standard at seven public tertiary health-care facilities over two accreditation cycles. Findings: Overall, organizations improved their compliance with the Information Management standard. However, issues exist with effectively and efficiently transmitting data, aggregating clinical and administrative data and using the information for both strategic planning and quality improvement initiatives. Research limitations/implications: The analysed data set does not provide information about the improvements done between the accreditation cycles. Caution should be applied before assuming generalizability of the results, considering the context and social constructs around the health-care system is essential. Practical implications: Compliance with predetermined criteria through accreditation can improve information management practices. Without proper management of information at health-care facilities, achieving safe and effective patient care is futile. The role of health information technology (IT) should not be sidelined; robust health IT solutions can help support good information management practices thereby improving care quality and aiding health-care reform. Originality/value: Concerning information management, health-care organizations providing focused services have clear advantages over organizations providing general care services. Considering the type of care organization (general vs specialized) can provide insights into how information management practices can affect the operations of the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify differences in auditors' dysfunctional behaviour when expecting performance appraisal. Its main aim is to examine variances across countries; UK vs Kuwait. Also, it identifies differences between experienced and inexperienced auditors. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on dysfunctional audit behaviour (DAB) where premature sign-off and under-reporting of chargeable time are chosen as the two main signalling proxies. A survey made up of statements included in performance appraisal templates is distributed among auditors working for the Big Four firms in both, the UK and Kuwait. Findings: The paper shows how performance evaluation of external auditors affects their behaviour in the workplace. From a cultural standpoint, assessing the performance of auditors whilst working in a competitive market in a developed country is regarded as a potential driver for DAB variations. Evaluating auditors' performance in a developing country is seen as a stabiliser of DAB. This research paper demonstrates that experienced auditors have a greater tendency to behave dysfunctionally as compared to inexperienced auditors. Originality/value: Prior studies have been conducted to assess auditors' performance through using internal and external attributes (Kaplan, 1985), offshoring basic steps of audit work (Downey, 2018), and the perception of audit clients about auditors' performance (Reheul et al., 2013). Such studies were conducted mostly on developed countries on a standalone basis. In this study, the focus has been shifted from focusing on one country to comparing two different countries. The paper examines DAB between experienced and inexperienced auditors in the UK and in Kuwait when expecting performance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to propose lean-based interventions that address the main causes of emergency department overcrowding. Emergency department overcrowding (EDOC) and increased length of stay (LOS) have been key global issues for more than 20 years, as they have serious repercussions. No measurements have been done to assess the situation nationally. Expanding emergency departments (EDs) and adding more beds have never succeeded in eliminating wastes and targeting the root causes of the problem.Design/methodology/approach This paper is a quantitative analytical applied research. The paper used direct observation for seven days to collect patient flow data on ED patients at a secondary care hospital in Kuwait. It calculated wait times and services to identify the major causes of EDOC and increased LOS.Findings Around one-third of the ED design capacity was used by 12 per cent of the patients who stayed >6 h each. The wasted waiting time represents 56.2 per cent of the aggregated LOS, which puts lean management (LM) on the top of the process reengineering approaches suitable for improving overcrowding by reducing waste. Guided by the LM concepts, the paper proposes solutions that fall into three themes. The selected solutions address the vital few causes of the EDOC and prolonged EDLOS.Originality/value This paper is the first study of its kind in Kuwait, and one of the most outstanding studies in the Gulf region, in terms of the number of the daily ED visits and the comprehensive multi-level proposed interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper determines the dynamic linkage of oil price and public expenditures in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2017. For this purpose, the study uses symmetric and asymmetric ARDL and Granger causality procedures. The results confirm the existence of asymmetric behaviour of oil price, which is a key factor that fiscal authorities used for the decision about public expenditures. Furthermore, the result reveals that the evidence of the Keynesian hypothesis is observed in United Arab Emirates. While Kuwait fits both theories at a time and also confirms Wagner's law only in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the results support the spend‐and‐revenue hypothesis in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait while fiscal neutrality in United Arab Emirates. On the basis of conclusion, the study recommends that the government should re‐invest the surplus from oil receipt into other sectors of the economy on a priority basis that will reduce the negative effects of a decline in oil price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the phonological system of a monolingual Kuwaiti Arabic-speaking 9-year-old girl with Down Syndrome (DS) as part of a special crosslinguistic issue presenting individual profiles of children with protracted phonological development within the framework of constraints-based nonlinear phonology. Her responses to a 100-word speech test were audio-recorded and transcribed narrowly by two native speakers. Analyses showed low accuracy for word shapes (CV sequences), primarily because of expected deletion patterns in initial weak syllables and clusters, but also reflecting inaccuracies in segment length. Vowel match was also relatively low. For consonants, she unexpectedly showed lower accuracy for stops than typically later-developing liquids and fricatives. This case study provides researchers and speech-language pathologists with broader information about expected and unexpected patterns in children with DS and protracted phonological development in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Management Studies is the property of Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Determining a precise local geoid is particularly important for converting the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) heights to orthometric heights. The geometric method for computing the geoid has been extensively used for a comparatively small region, which, in some points, interpolates geoid heights based on GNSS-derived heights and levelling heights. Several considerations should be considered when using the geometric method to increase the accuracy of a local geoid. Kuwait is used as a test area in this paper to investigate several features of the geometric method. The achievable precision is one of these aspects, the role of the interpolation method, global geopotential models, and the influence of the topographic effect. The accuracy of the local geoid can be substantially enhanced by integrating a geopotential model with a digital terrain model of the research region. It is possible to get a precision of 2–3 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Education / Al Mejlh Altrbwyh is the property of Kuwait University, Academic Publication Council and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a growing need to produce water and energy more sustainably by incorporating the following objectives: (1) enhanced solar utilization, (2) reduced fossil fuel usage, (3) increased desalination efficiency, and (4) decreased environmental emissions. This paper investigates the following hypotheses: (1) the aforementioned objectives require a novel systems-integration approach that identifies synergistic design and operational strategies, (2) the water-energy nexus must integrate power plants and desalination systems, and (3) optimal solutions must supplement existing infrastructure with emerging technologies. To reduce the carbon footprint, fossil-based power plants are augmented with solar energy. Because of seasonal variations in supply and demand for energy and water—and because of the diurnal nature of solar energy—a multi-period approach is utilized. As a result of complex water-energy interactions, a superstructure representation is created to embed potential configurations of interest. The optimization formulation incorporates multiple objectives and guides the design and operational decisions. This approach is applied to a case study on the Kuwait water-energy nexus, and considers the following: (1) seasonal variations in fuel availability, prices, power demand, and water needs; (2) multi-period optimization of fuel usage within the existing infrastructure; (3) the potential for solar retrofits; (4) the impact of several carbon-footprint constraints on the minimum cost; and (5) optimal design and operational strategies. In infrastructure renewal projects, the developed approach and targeted application can help decision-makers create simultaneous design and operational strategies that meet economic and environmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where criticism of a government could be punishable, political cartoons are used to make critical social commentary in a less direct way. In this study, political cartoons published in four Kuwaiti newspapers during Arab Spring protests were analyzed. Most of the 261 cartoons linked negative attributes to Arab Spring and Kuwaiti politics, society and economy despite certain press restrictions. Newspapers established after a change in press regulations in 2006 were remarkably similar to older newspapers. Liberal and conservative papers both published mainly negative messages but provided starkly different issue agendas; of the 89 cartoons depicting the Arab Spring, only 8 appeared in conservative papers. Conservative papers concentrated on topics relating to Kuwaiti society, economy, and politics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: It has been argued in the literature that quality assurance is a relative concept. In view of the new challenges (and opportunities) created by e-learning institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, this paper aims to explore the dimensions of quality assurance in e-learning and test the psychometric properties of the underlying dimensions. Design/methodology/approach: A sequential mixed methods approach was applied in this study. In the qualitative phase, items were generated using the inductive and deductive approaches. This was then followed by the quantitative phase where data was collected from 275 senior academics, scholars and administrators associated with e-learning institutions in Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Findings: The findings of this study revealed that e-learning quality assurance is a multidimensional construct. The dimensions of accreditation, assessment, accountability and benchmarking were identified. Further, the model demonstrated adequacy in its validity and reliability. Practical implications: In the light of proliferation of e-learning courses in GCC countries, the results of this are invaluable to enable administrators and instructors to design strategy and foster innovation in the domain of quality assurance. E-learning institutions operating in a competitive environment have to design and implement an effective strategy to achieve innovation, uniqueness and diversity in the educational sector of their countries. Originality/value: This paper has successfully validated an e-learning quality assurance questionnaire, which can be used effectively for evaluating e-learning programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ṣukūk emerged in the last two decades as a noteworthy contender for conventional bonds. Their wider appeal for Muslim populations around the world led to more issuers preferring to issuing ̋ukūk over conventional bonds. This is the case for most countries in the Islamic World, but not Kuwait, despite it being a world-renowned pioneer and hub for innovation and creativity in Islamic Finance and Shariah-compliant capital markets. This study examines the legal and regulatory framework for ̋ukūk in the State of Kuwait after giving a brief history of its development. Through qualitative analysis of news sources, country reports, and academic papers, this study attempts to identify the major challenges and hurdles facing the development of ̋ukūk despite the illustrious track record of the Islamic Finance industry in Kuwait. As per the study, the most notable challenges and hurdles are in relation to the benchmark yield curve, public awareness, and listing of ̋ukūk. The study concludes by suggesting possible solutions which all require a higher level of coordination between government entities and relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Albian Mauddud Formation is a prolific reservoir in Kuwait and nearby countries such as Iraq and Iran but has received far less attention than the under‐ and overlying units (the Aptian Shu'aiba and Cenomanian Mishrif Formations). Detailed reservoir characterization studies of the formation are required to support field development and improved / enhanced oil recovery (EOR) programmes. In this study, 26 wells penetrating the Mauddud Formation within the Greater Burgan area of Kuwait (Burgan and neighbouring fields) were investigated, integrating the logging of 910 ft of core with petrographic investigations of 113 stained and impregnated thin sections. In the Greater Burgan area, the Mauddud Formation can be divided into a lower Clastic Member and an upper Carbonate Member which is the main focus of this paper. The primary objective of the study was to present a new characterization of this thin, heterogeneous carbonate reservoir by integrating facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy with a detailed petrographic investigation. A second objective was to identify the relative importance of depositional characteristics and diagenesis on the distribution of reservoir properties. Sandstones in the Clastic Member of the Mauddud Formation were deposited on a delta which passed laterally to the north and east into a carbonate platform. During subsequent regional flooding, increased carbonate production resulted in the development of a larger‐scale carbonate platform covering the entire study area. The Burgan field area was part of the proximal zone of this carbonate platform. A number of depositional environments were identified by integrating core and thin section data. These range from outer platform to mid‐ and inner platform, the latter including both high‐ and low‐energy settings (shoal, shoreline; and lagoonal respectively). Mud‐supported textures characteristic of low‐energy inner‐platform and mid‐ to outer‐platform settings are volumetrically dominant in the Mauddud Carbonate Member. Sequence stratigraphic analysis suggests that the Mauddud Carbonate Member is part of a major regressive phase (or highstand systems tract) of a third‐order sequence, with the regional‐scale K110 MFS positioned close to the transition with the underlying Clastic Member. Two 4th order transgressive – regressive (TR) cycles or sequences, M1 and M2, were identified within the Carbonate Member. The top‐Mauddud surface corresponds to a sequence boundary with long‐lasting subaerial exposure during the latest Albian and is characterized by both micro‐ and macroscopic karst features (calcite dissolution vugs and recrystallization in thin sections; and cavities in cores). This study demonstrates that the Burgan field area experienced significant uplift, with increased differential erosion and/or non‐deposition of the upper M2 TR cycle towards the southwest. Eogenetic marine and meteoric calcite cements partially fill macropores close to the tops of the TR cycles and remaining macropores were occluded by shallow‐burial calcite cements. Cementation by ferroan dolomite cement, which resulted from the increased overburden and associated chemical compaction, has almost entirely occluded residual macropores in the lower part of the Mauddud Carbonate Member, close to the underlying siliciclastic deposits of the Clastic Member. As a consequence, porosity is mostly preserved in the middle part of the Carbonate Member. The predominance of mud‐supported textures in these intervals together with the effects of diagenesis explain the widespread occurrence of microporosity within both micritic matrix and grains. In the Greater Burgan area, meteoric diagenesis associated with subaerial exposure(s) of the top‐Mauddud preserved and/or enhanced micrite microporosity. Plug porosity may reach 35% or more, but permeability does not exceed 100 mD. The Mauddud Carbonate Member in the Greater Burgan area is a thin, microporous reservoir, with a dual porosity component which is linked to karst alteration and not to tectonic fracturing. The distribution of reservoir properties results from a combination of primary depositional characteristics and a multiphase diagenetic overprint. This study will guide the future development of the Mauddud reservoir in the Greater Burgan area. It also demonstrates the importance of an integrated approach to constrain sub‐seismic heterogeneities in carbonate reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming induced by greenhouse gases (GHGs) is already a reality and will continue to increase resulting in a severe climate change. The aim of the paper is twofold. First, to investigate the GHGs emissions between the year of 2004 and 2016 in four major urban cities, representing the residential band of Kuwait. Results showed a clear steady yearly increase in GHGs emissions, with more emissions in summer compared to winter, possibly due to the high consumption rate of fossil fuel for cooling purposes and traffic activities. Results also revealed a diurnal variation in GHGs emissions, plausibly attributed to the combined effects of busy traffic hours as well as respiration by the living organisms and/or from soils. A second objective in this paper is, to develop a reliable connectionist models such as neural networks for predicting GHGs emissions. Radial basis function (RBF) network due to its known approximation capabilities, localization of its transfer functions and its efficient training algorithms, showed a superior performance in predicting GHGs emissions. Parity and time series plots of the predicted concentrations against the observed concentrations demonstrated the appropriateness of connectionist modelling as a fast and precise tool for monitoring and forecasting the GHGs emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the rater severity of instructors using a multi-trait rubric in a freshman composition course offered in a private university in Kuwait. Use of standardized multi-trait rubrics is a recent development in this course and student feedback and anchor papers provided by instructors for each essay exam necessitated the assessment of rater effects, including severity/leniency and restriction of range in ratings among instructors. Data were collected from three instructors teaching the same course in Summer 2019, who rated the first midterm exam essays of their students and shared the scores with the researcher. Also, two students from each class were randomly selected and a total of six papers were marked by all instructors for anchoring purposes. Many-facet Rasch model (MFRM) was employed for data analysis. The results showed that although the raters used the rubric consistently during scoring across all examinees and tasks, they differed in their degree of leniency and severity, and tended to assign scores of 70 and 80 more frequently than the other scores. The study shows that composition instructors may differ in their rating behavior and this may cause dissatisfaction, creating a sense of unfairness among the students of severe instructors. The findings of this study are expected to help writing departments to monitor their inter-rater reliability and consistency in their ratings. The most practical way to achieve this is by organizing rater training workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the author's keynote talk at the ERF's 25th anniversary conference in Kuwait City (March 10–12, 2019), this paper outlines the research and policy dimensions of the fast-rising intangibles economy. The key features of such economic structures are – the centrality of (mostly proprietary) intellectual property; high upfront fronts for firms but near-zero marginal costs of production if successful; first-mover advantage especially if backed up by standard-setting; and handsome rewards for strategic behavior. There is no single route to success in such a world; in fact many successful countries have had ex ante daunting challenges not unknown among ERF countries. The ethos that drives the ERF has never been more essential than it is today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: Kuwait is looking to transition from its current position in the global economy into a forward-thinking hub of trade and commerce. To do this Kuwait is relying on a social media campaign to get the population on board. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Exposure to household secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) among adolescents has been shown to be associated with atopic dermatitis, and affects disproportionality females. However, the mechanisms underlying this link are uncertain. This study sought to identify modifiable factors that mediate the relationship between household SHS exposure and atopic dermatitis among adolescents. METHODS During October 2015, a cross-sectional study was conducted using the ISAAC questionnaire for data collection from adolescents enrolled in nine high schools of Hawalli -- one of the six governorates of Kuwait. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported tobacco smoking among adolescents, household SHS exposure (≥1 smokers at home vs none), selfreported asthma and atopic dermatitis. For causal mediation analysis an inverse odds-weighting approach was used. RESULTS Of 746 participants, 74.8% were Kuwaiti, 50.1% were female, 12.4% were regular daily smokers and 54.1% had household SHS exposure, which was more common among Kuwaiti (79.6%) than non-Kuwaiti (20.4%) adolescents. The prevalences of self-reported asthma and atopic dermatitis were 20.6% and 14.9%, respectively. After adjusting for the pre-exposure covariates (i.e. sex and nativity), household SHS exposure had a significant (p=0.043) total effect, non-significant (p=0.133) natural direct effect, and marginally insignificant (p=0.058) natural indirect effect, which were jointly mediated by asthma status and adolescent's selfreported smoking status, with a proportion of mediated risk to atopic dermatitis of 29.6%. CONCLUSIONS Asthma and self-tobacco smoking among adolescents not only directly affected but also mediated household SHS exposure effect on atopic dermatitis risk. Voluntarily adopting a smoke-free home rule may minimize household SHS exposure, reduce the odds of developing asthma, and deter the initiation of tobacco smoking among adolescents. Such an effort will likely mitigate the atopic dermatitis risk among adolescents in this and other similar settings. If implemented, future studies may contemplate evaluating the impact of such intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) providing online education have been facing challenges in an increasingly competitive market. Consequently, brand equity has gained importance. This study takes a holistic approach and identifies the antecedents of brand equity and the impact these have on building brand equity of online universities. Data was collected from 242 E-learners studying in online universities in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The research model was empirically tested using structural equation modeling. The findings support four of the six hypotheses. Learning environment, reputation, career prospects and corporate social responsibility influence brand equity. This study contributes to the literature by offering a deductively generated model to guide future research on brand equity related to online universities. The findings of this study offer practical insights and managerial implications for university administrators engaged in building a brand equity. Detailed discussion of the theoretical and practical implications concludes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the lived experiences of three Kuwaiti women as they construct and negotiate their professional identities as Muslim English language teachers in Kuwait. Building on the paucity of research surrounding religious identity and English language teaching contexts, positioning analysis and tactics of intersubjectivity were used to examine the teachers' oral narrative accounts, highlighting the ways in which they navigate their professional teaching contexts within the underlying local religious ideologies. Findings show that while the three English language teachers share a common nationality, faith, and gender, they each engaged in different ways with their religious identities within their professional practice. The study concludes with implications for professional development and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Freedom of Information Act 12/2020 represents another milestone in the construction of constitutional governance in Kuwait. The legislation forms one element of the quest to administer state institutions with greater transparency and accountability. The effective implementation of the Act is safeguarded by: an internal appeal and judicial review against refusal of requests and the criminalization of the deliberate refraining from providing the information. Still, the effectiveness of this scheme remains in doubt because of the wide discretion to decline requests granted to the public bodies and these limited enforcement mechanisms. Building on international best practice, this paper argues that further vital enforcement-oriented reforms must be implemented through additional civil law oversight (an information commission) to handle appeals against refusal and broader oversight functions. However, these technical advances must be accompanied by broader initiatives such as public education and the training of officials. Only then can the Kuwaiti version of freedom of information become a beacon to others in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease that mostly affects the synovial joints. It has been hypothesized that dietary and other environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to the development of RA and its severity. Objective: The present study aims to measure the effect of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on the disease activity scores (DAS28) among patients with RA. Methods: Adult patients who satisfied the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for RA from major hospitals in Kuwait were evaluated. A cross‐sectional study conducted on 754 RA patients visits aged (21–79) years. Patients were evaluated using the DAS28. Patients' levels of adherence to the MedDiet are assessed using a validated 14‐item Questionnaire (paper or web‐based). The data was analyzed using both multivariate and univariate statistics. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the statistical relationship between MedDiet and RA disease activity. Results: The finding suggests that a MedDiet can have a positive impact on DAS28 among patients with RA. In the DAS28 cohort (DAS28 < 3.2, DAS28 ≥ 3.2), several Mediterranean survey components showed statistically significant differences. Patients with a Mediterranean score ≤ 5 was more likely to have hazard effects for DAS28 than those with a Mediterranean score of ≥10 (HR = 0.17, CI [0.08–0.37], p <.001). The finding shows that, Mediterranean levels ≤5, on biologics treatment, CRP, and patient global assessment were significantly associated with overall survival. Additionally, the MedDiet was found to be a significant predictor of DAS28 in the random forest decision tree plot, along with tender, RF, and creatinine. MedDiet patients had a lower DAS28 score than others. Conclusion: The findings suggest that optimal drug treatment and a restrictive diet can help to improve DAS28 score for patients with RA. More patients in the cohort DAS28 <3.2 used olive oil, servings of vegetables, fruits, and legumes. In contrast, more patients in the cohort DAS28 ≥ 3.2 consumed red meat, butter, sweetened or soft drinks, cakes, cookies, or biscuits, and tomato sauce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuwait's policy of achieving 15% renewable energy by 2030, announced in 2012, has been diverted from its original intent. Today, Kuwait's renewable energy goal is to meet 15% of its projected peak load by 2030. To examine the actual outcomes, a comparison is offered between the original policy: annual energy share, the current policy: peak capacity share, and two other policies: installed capacity share and peak load share. The results demonstrate how these policies lead to drastically different outcomes. The total installed renewable energy capacity ranges from 4 GW to 27 GW; the total produced energy from renewables ranges from 8 TWh to 44 TWh; and the flexibility requirements ranges from 1.6 GW to 20 GW per hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge representation through metadata is crucial to successful knowledge management and ensuring access. Libraries, especially those associated with universities and colleges, have been long engaged in important activities of developing, adapting, implementing, and managing descriptive and administrative metadata, bibliographic authority control, etc. A substantial amount of research exists in knowledge representation practices of libraries that operate in North America and Western Europe. However, some other regions of the world, in particular the Arabian Gulf region which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, are currently underrepresented in this research. The exploratory project presented in this paper aimed to address this gap with the goal of developing an understanding of the current state of knowledge representation (including descriptive metadata practices, identity management, use of knowledge organisation systems, and more) in academic libraries of Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, as well as plans and preparedness of these institutions and their staff for future developments in this area to facilitate discovery of resources, specifically in the aggregated digital environment. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews of metadata managers at a representative sample of regional university libraries. The findings provide insights into this previously under-researched area and contribute to understanding of related knowledge management barriers and perspectives on a global scale. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature supports affective organizational commitment (AOC) as a mediator between organizational justice (OJ) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Nevertheless, the AOC as a mediating mechanism through which three dimensions of OJ affect five sub-dimensions of OCB has mainly been unexplored in government ministries samples. This paper aims to explore the influencing mechanism of AOC on the relationship between the three dimensions of OJ and the five dimensions of OCB for non-managerial employees in government ministries. This study was conducted with a sample of 360 non-managerial employees in nine government ministries in Kuwait. The bootstrapping method was used at a 95% confidence interval, and 5000 resamples based on SmartPLS 3.0 to examine the mediating of AOC. The results of this study indicate a significant and positive relationship between the three dimensions of OJ (distributive, interactional, procedural) and AOC, as well as between AOC and five dimensions of OCB. Thus, the results clearly show that AOC mediates the relationship between the three dimensions of OJ and the five dimensions of OCB. This study will enrich ministry managers by serving as a source of knowledge on creating emotional commitment for their employees and providing ways to enjoy their membership in organizations and align their goals with those of the organizations. Moreover, the expected results from this research will be closely related to the policies and decision-making of public organizations in the field of OCB when planning ways to maintain employee participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting the spread of COVID-19 infection is an important aspect of public health management. In this paper, we propose an approach to forecasting the spread of the pandemic based on the vector autoregressive model. Concretely, we combine the time series for the number of new cases and the number of new deaths to obtain a joint forecasting model. We apply the proposed model to forecast the number of new cases and deaths in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Test results based on out-of-sample forecast show that the proposed model achieves a high level of accuracy that is superior to many existing methods. Concretely, our model achieves mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.35%, 2.03%, and 3.75% in predicting the number of daily new cases for the three countries, respectively. Furthermore, interpolating our predictions to forecast the cumulative number of cases, we obtain MAPE of 0.0017%, 0.002%, and 0.024%, respectively. The strong performance of the proposed approach indicates that it could be a valuable tool in managing the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the recovery of desert plant communities after 20 years of oil‐derived hydrocarbon contamination in desert habitats of Kuwait, caused by the First Gulf War (1990–1991). The hypothesis that certain native desert plant species can tolerate weathered oil‐polluted soils and can potentially function as bioindicators and phytoremediator species for oil‐polluted soil was tested. A field survey of 200 quadrat sampling plots at seven hydrocarbon‐contaminated and unpolluted desert areas in Kuwait was performed and recorded 42 plant species, with Haloxylon salicornicum (Moq.) Bunge ex Boiss., Cyperus conglomeratus Rottb., and Rhanterium epapposum Oliv. as the dominant species. Analysis of plant tissues indicated plant uptake and accumulation of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), depending on plant species and specific PAH compounds. Total PAHs in plant tissues in the most contaminated sites were over 200 μg kg−1. H. salicornicum could develop in both oil‐contaminated soil and uncontaminated soil although their biomass was about 16.7% smaller than usual. However, the plants appeared green and healthy in both sites, and showed no overt stress. The results suggest that some desert plant communities can recover after severe oil pollution and that H. salicornicum may serve as a phytoremediator of oil‐contaminated desert soils. Our results also demonstrated that some desert plant communities could be cultivated in oil fields to reduce hydrocarbon contamination and provide support to other ecosystem services through improving soil quality and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of air conditioning in buildings to provide a comfortable environment accounts for up to 75% of the electricity consumed in Kuwait for the hot season from April through to the end of October. The widespread adoption of air conditioning systems in buildings has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. This has led to an increased peak load demand that has resulted in a larger carbon footprint and placed the electricity grid under significant strain. Heat-driven air conditioning systems that use solar energy are now emerging as alternatives to electricity-driven conventional refrigerated air conditioners. These systems are more energy-efficient, with lower carbon emissions while also ensuring better indoor air quality and comfort when optimally designed. Among the heat-driven air conditioning systems, the desiccant cooling system is among the systems with the most potential. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the design optimization of solar desiccant cooling systems for Kuwait's climate. The numerical model of the system is developed using validated components. The various design configurations analysed include a solar heating system and regeneration air for the desiccant wheel. It is found that an evacuated tube solar collector in conjunction with return air from the building to regenerate the desiccant wheel provides the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Global disasters have increased over the last century, with growing numbers of people affected. In the Middle East and North Africa, natural disasters have tripled since the 1980s. Education and training for disaster preparedness for healthcare providers can help reduce vulnerability to disasters by improving their knowledge and response effectiveness. Physicians working in the emergency department are integral members of the response to those incidents. Currently, no studies describe how much training or experience in disaster preparedness exists for physicians working in the emergency departments in Kuwait. However, comparable studies in different regions have illustrated the importance of researching this field. This paper aims to assess the disaster preparedness levels of emergency department physicians in Kuwait. Method: An online survey will be sent to the physicians working in the emergency departments of the seven general hospitals in Kuwait. This survey consists of four domains: 1) Demographics: personal and professional characteristics of participants. 2) Education and training: exploring the involvement of participants in prior formal training courses or exercises in disaster preparedness. 3) Experience: assessing the involvement of participants in the mitigation or response to previous disasters. 4) Knowledge and perception: participant awareness of local hospital plans and systems as well as their attitudes and opinions about disaster preparedness. Results: Data collection and analysis are planned for completion by March 31, 2023. Conclusion: The needs assessment is essential to developing educational curriculums for any discipline. In disaster medicine, tailoring the training curriculum is especially important because learners might not have experience in the field due to the high acuity and low frequency of disasters. The results can be used to develop a roadmap for Emergency Physician training in disaster preparedness in Kuwait. In addition, the approach adopted in this paper can be used to assess further disciplines for disaster preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualizing branding as ongoing strategic efforts formulated by transnational English medium instruction EMI)-oriented universities in today's competitive Higher Education (HE) market in order to create uniqueness for their academic programs as branded commodities, this paper (a) examines the forms of branding crafted by universities in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates) in order to claim uniqueness for their academic programs, and (b) inquires into whose interests (i.e., students, teachers, universities, investors or governments) are thus best served. Data were collected from policy documents, promotional materials (e.g., slogans) and official speeches on recent major branding initiatives undertaken by universities across the region. These data were treated as a research site which has its own history, players and nuances. The findings reveal that because of the different branding efforts intertwined with neoliberal language policy agendas undertaken by universities, with generous logistic, legal, and financial supports from their governments, a collision of conflicting interests and objectives among different players has arisen. This undesirable outcome leads governments and universities to represent and imagine each other as rivals instead of as collaborators aiming to secure various regional interests, including joint educational work. The implication of this phenomenon is that transnational English medium instruction-oriented policies have brought about apparent educational inequalities and social class in HE sectors of the region. This paper closes with recommendations to align the branding efforts with the regional interests stipulated in the Arab Bureau of Education for the Arabian Gulf countries.

Based on data from a household survey completed in 2016, this paper estimated a model for residential electricity consumption in Kuwait. The main objective of estimating the model was to examine the impact of curtailment and efficiency energy conservation measures on household electricity consumption. Given Kuwait's demographic composition and variations in electricity consumption across months, the model was estimated for two population groups (nationals and expatriates) and three periods (annual, summer months, and winter months). Prior to estimating the model, tests were conducted to determine if the observed differences in consumption across the population groups were sufficiently different to warrant separate treatment of groups. The survey data revealed that despite electricity consumption being heavily subsidized, households made efforts to conserve electricity by investing in efficient technologies as well as changing habits and practices. While the curtailment measures reported to be adopted by households were found to lower electricity consumption of the national households, the efficiency measures were found to impact electricity consumption of expatriate households. Awareness of conservation campaigns and conservation issues were found to lower electricity consumption, particularly in the case of expatriate households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper aimed to study the optimal way to implement and subsequently manage the new metropolitan lines in the Kuwait city as well as to justify them from a social and economic-financial viability standpoint and the most important aspects of transport infrastructure projects viability. The implementation of new modes of transport in an urban environment requires the study of several factors that allow their incorporation on the transport system in the most efficient method. These factors include reviewing the organization of the transport system. The concept of transport system organization, financing models and common trends was defined. Finally, the Public Transport Authority was created to define global objectives and establish specific policies to achieve them was suggested. Design/methodology/approach: After the analysis of the "status quo" of transport systems organization, the financing and management schemes, both infrastructure projects and the provision of rail service were analysed. The characteristics of the PPP scheme (Public–Private Participation) contract, advantages and disadvantages, its structure, and the definition and share of risk (matrix of risk, rights and obligations of the parties) as a key element of the PPP contracts were defined. From this point onwards, the legal framework in force in Kuwait was analysed, particularly the administrative and commercial regulations applying to this project and the authors verified that the economic-financial viability analysis suggested before can be established under this framework. Findings: For the viability of these alternatives, the authors developed a simulation economic-financial model that reflects Financial Statements for the "Society Vehicle Project" and are considered some minimum thresholds of profitability, both from the viewpoint of the partners sponsoring the project as from the standpoint of lenders, which make attractive participation of private initiative. Finally, there was a short socio-economic analysis to justify the project implementation from a social standpoint. It analyses and quantifies the reduction of operating expenses of other modes of transport, travelling times, accident rates, environmental pollution etc. All these factors affect the quality of life of the population of Kuwait and are the main reason to carry out this project. Several recommendations were raised that aimed at preparing the projects, bidding and selection of private partner and the articulation and implementation of projects. Originality/value: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge through setting the framework for metro projects in arid regions with the hottest temperature on Earth such as Kuwait where such projects are missing completely. This work will be very helpful to governments and municipalities in taking investment decisions. It sets the strategy for utilizing the best of decision-making theory, identifying the reliability advantages and finding the larger economic effects. This work identified, through the analysis of alternative management options generally used in underground and rail projects in different parts of the world, the most convenient alternative in developing countries. It also clearly showed, through the analysis carried out on governmental contributions, how to obtain economic viability for such types of projects. Finally, it helped drawing a roadmap for preparing the projects, bidding and selection of private partner and the articulation and implementation of projects in Kuwait and Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to enhance the execution requirements of the solar photovoltaic (PV) street lighting system in Kuwait. A strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis was performed to recognise the elements needed for feasibility analysis followed by analysing the economic and environmental viability. The cost analysis shows that in a year, 18,770,072.56 m3 of natural gas and 4,939,492.779 gallons of fossil fuel can be saved from the installation. Hence, the cost of lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) is directly proportional to the cost of conserved energy resources since emissions from generation stations are reduced by 132,37vc8,406 kg of CO2. The payback period of 3 years and price decrease ratio of 13% shows that this system is economically and environmentally viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study which has evaluated the extent to which a sample of elementary special education teachers in Kuwait understand and make use of evidence‐informed approaches in the mainstream classroom with children with special educational needs. A questionnaire survey was developed and administered (N = 150), focussing on teacher understanding of and use of two selected evidence‐informed approaches: peer tutoring strategy and the JIGSAW strategy. Results revealed a good degree of understand and use of both strategies. Recommendations are made in relation to further research on the evidence‐informed practice for the effective inclusion of children with special educational needs in Kuwait and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between research and development (R&D) investment and economic development is well established. Yet, at a global scale, the resource-rich countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are consistent outliers in this relationship, combining rich-world national incomes with R&D expenditure of developing countries. This paper uses a case study on Kuwait to illustrate a particular form of developmental trap, a version of the resource curse, which makes it irrational for private business firms to invest in R&D and innovation. Based on an analysis of the literature and secondary data, focus groups, and an original survey of large manufacturing firms, we argue that a narrow focus on R&D-led diversification of economic activity ignores the systemic problems faced by Kuwait and, particularly, the unsuitable supply of skills and capabilities provided by the national education and training system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular network operators are actively expanding network coverage and capacity by deploying additional base-stations to provide mobile services to customers in rural areas. The increasing deployment of cellular base-stations has increased the power consumption, energy cost, and associated adverse environmental impact. This paper addresses the feasibility of using renewable energy sources to power off-grid rural 4G/5G cellular base-stations based on Kuwait's solar irradiance and wind potentials. More importantly, a hybrid renewable energy system will be designed and modeled to meet realistic energy demands of remote base-stations and determine the optimum size of the hybrid system components. Particularly, the hybrid off-grid system may incorporate wind turbines (WTs), photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, converters, a battery bank (BB), and a back-up diesel generator (DG). Two remote cell-sites are considered, namely: (1) Jal-Alayah and (2) Wafra, where the Jal-Alayah cell-site is characterized with higher average wind speed (and wind potential), while the Wafra cell-site has higher average clearness index and solar irradiance. Various hybrid PV/wind electric system (HPWES) configurations are modeled and simulated via HOMER software, with the aim of determining the optimal configuration—in terms of net present cost (NPC)—in each cell-site. Specifically, the simulations have revealed that the WT-BB configuration is the most economical at the Jal-Alayah cell-site while requiring minimal land area and ensuring 100% renewable energy and zero CO 2 emissions. This configuration is followed by the PV-DG-BB and PV-WT-DG-BB configurations, where the latter configuration incurs a marginal increase in the NPC than the former but with less land area. On the other hand, the PV-BB configuration is the most cost-effective in the Wafra cell-site; however, in the scenario of limited land area, then the PV-DG-BB configuration can be used but at the expense of slight increase in the NPC and CO 2 emissions. This study confirms that utilizing renewable energy sources in two rural areas in Kuwait can be extremely effective in replacing conventional DG-powered base-stations, while minimizing the NPC and CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assesses the long-run relationship between India's exports and imports with its 21 major trading partners using bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag bounds test procedure with a Fourier function. The study uses monthly data for the period 2014 (Month 01) to 2020 (Month 02). The empirical results show cointegration for 6 countries if imports are used as the dependent variable but not when exports are used as a dependent variable. However, for the remaining countries, no cointegration between exports and imports was found. This indicates that India's efforts to reduce its bilateral imbalances through trade policies with these countries may not be appropriately targeted. Having established a long-run relationship, the study estimates a disaggregated bilateral import demand function by employing a linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model to investigate the asymmetric impact of the relative price changes on the import demand of India with her trading partners. Marshall–Lerner condition is satisfied for India's trade with Kuwait and Germany in case of linear autoregressive distributed lag model and with Qatar, Kuwait and Germany in case of nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model. Cumulative asymmetries are established for Indo-Kuwait trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minaret is considered the symbol of Islam and a prominent feature in Muslim communities. In Kuwait, almost every mosque, regardless of its size, includes one or more minarets. Minaret architecture has attracted considerable attention, both scholarly and from the public. Previous studies about mosque and minaret architecture have been restricted to architectural styles. The principal objective of this paper was to investigate the minaret's validity as an essential feature in contemporary mosque architecture by analyzing several aspects of minaret’s architecture such as its function, number, prominence, placement of minaret to the mosque, minaret's main components, and minaret's decoration. Based on ten selected case studiesrepresenting the six governorates of Kuwait, the study attempts to understand further essential elements of minaret and the extent to which architects can redesign/transform the minaret without risking its symbolic and historic value. The findings indicate that the minaret continues to play an important role and is considered a significant element in contemporary Kuwaiti mosque architecture. The minaret's prominence within mosque design is dependent on its number, location, size, articulation, and decoration’s subtlety. Furthermore, while the square plan is most common in minaret's base, the octagonal shaft plan is the most common in contemporary minarets. This research provides a timely and necessary study of minaret design that contributes to contemporary Mosque architecture, directing architects, designers, and mosque's patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a comparative study assessing net metering and feed-in tariffs is proposed for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems in the Kuwaiti market. This study measures the impact of the two mechanisms as well as a mechanism combining both approaches in deploying solar energy systems in residential areas. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are inspected to determine the optimal approach for Kuwaiti market conditions. A feasibility study on installing a roof-mounted PV system in a typical Kuwaiti residential building is utilized to validate the optimum solar electricity mechanism. The proposed study intends to reduce the peak load demand in Kuwait's electric grid as a solution to the shortage of electric production capacity by encouraging investors and house owners to invest in solar energy. PV*Sol premium 2018 (R10) and RETScreen software packages are utilized to perform the assessment and study analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food and architecture have not often been discussed together despite their intimate connections. They both produce creative pieces of art and share a technical side that relies on careful measurements and aesthetic proportions. Yet, for the most part, many contemporary researchers have overlooked them. This paper intends to better understand how food and architecture are related by examining Kuwait’s rising food culture scene as a case study. Over the past decade, the phenomenon of the ’food mall’ has emerged and grown rapidly around Kuwait City. The architecture in question caters only for restaurants, cafe’s, and anything related to food. Many of these buildings have risen among residential neighbourhoods. In order to understand this trend and its implications for people and their built environment, this study employs questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings show clear impact of globalization on Kuwait’s food consumption patterns and the architectural landscape. Thus, the food malls are perceived as entertainment in a country with limited venues for recreation and have used interesting architectural concepts such as shipping containers, lakes, dancing fountains, and gardens to lure customers. As a result, the bond between food and architecture has led to unhealthy eating habitats and shifting lifestyles among Kuwaiti youth. This paper contends that a more sustainable and balanced approach to the outdoor food design and experience is necessary to elevate people towards a more sustainable and healthy quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Citizen engagement and public service co-production have been identified as essential ingredients of the recipe for public services' quality improvement. However, the process of citizens' involvement has rarely been investigated in the scientific literature. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this issue, examining the expectations and perspectives of people involved in an ongoing process of collective public service co-production implemented in Val Brembilla, a small-sized municipality located in North-Western Italy. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed research strategy was designed. First, seven focus groups involving both citizens and entrepreneurs participating in public service co-production were established. Second, a semi-structured survey was administered to 463 co-producers (including both citizens and entrepreneurs), in order to elicit their perceptions and expectations. Findings: An institutional trigger, namely, the decision of the municipality's board to purchase the Kuwait Expo 2015 pavilion, initiated the process of public service co-production. Although citizens did not fully agree with the decision to buy the pavilion, due to its negative implications on the municipality's finances, they were found to be willing to participate in public value co-creation. The opportunity to promote territorial identity through public value co-creation represented the main driver for citizens and entrepreneurs' involvement. Practical implications: Collective public service co-production is a sustainable and effective way to enhance the provision of public services. Several barriers are thought to prevent citizens' engagement in collective public service co-production. First, people expect to be engaged from the initial steps of the process; second, the distinguishing role of territorial identity in influencing citizens' behaviors and expectations should be recognized and properly addressed to avoid shortcomings in citizens' engagement. Originality/value: This paper investigates an ongoing collective public service co-production experience; moreover, it highlights the role of public service co-production in enhancing the public sector entities' ability to recognize the evolving needs of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which customer experience and relationship marketing (RM), as two widely used service management approaches, can effectively determine satisfaction and commitment as two relational quality constructs, and their impact on loyalty and word-of-mouth (WoM) as relational outcomes for retail bank services in Kuwait. This country is chosen as an exemplar of an Arabian Peninsula culture with a predominantly Islamic heritage and a capital-surplus economy. Design/methodology/approach: The relational benefits scale and customer experience quality were used as independent measures to collect data using multiple methods (interview, paper and pencil, online) from 1,013 customers of local and international banks. Standard translation procedures, CFA procedures and parallel analysis were employed to examine the dimensionality of all scales. SEM procedures were applied for each approach to assess its impact on the four indigenous dependent constructs using a multitude of fit indices, examination of validity and reliability measures for all constructs as well as structural paths. Findings: Results show the factor structure of both scales differed from their original conceptualization, with fewer items forming each latent factor when applied in Kuwait. The explanatory and predictive power of the EXQ model performed slightly better than RBS, although both explained substantial variance on dependent measures, confirming their relevance despite the lack of noticeable correlation between most factors contained in both scales. Research limitations/implications: This study underscores the importance of establishing the validity of measures prior to their cross-cultural application, with particular focus on the content validity of scale items to measure the intended construct properly. It also shows how two approaches can complement each other rather than compete to effectively manage bank services. As is the case with all cross-sectional research paradigms, longitudinal analysis linking expressed loyalty/WoM with actual behavior can better assess tested relationships than the current research. Practical implications: Retail banks' marketing strategy should simultaneously address customer relationships and customer experience to reduce attrition and enhance customer life-time value. Originality/value: Effects of service experience and RM are examined in a Middle-Eastern market, where internationalization of banks has created strong competition, leading customers to view bank services as less differentiated. Caution and examination of service quality measures are needed before using them as metrics in annual reports and performance reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]